In October 2018, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security and the Ministry of Finance ordered a new apprenticeship system for companies across the country. Companies are to choose outstanding highly skilled workers as qiye daoshi, enterprise mentors, for their apprentices. Training pairs a mentor at the company with a teacher at a school.
A mentor who takes on apprentices receives a mentoring allowance. The state subsidy is in principle at least 4,000 yuan per apprentice per year.
In crosstalk, xiangsheng, a performer is expected to have a master. A performer with no recognized line of teachers is called a haiqing, and colleagues in the trade look down on him.
A People’s Daily article described taking a master as “the public announcement of a contract. The master must be responsible for the disciple, and the disciple must respect the teacher.” When Yan Xiaoru became a disciple of Ma Sanli in 1948, Li Jiechen stood at the ceremony as guarantor, baoshi.
“In ancient times, those who studied always had a teacher,” the Tang writer Han Yu wrote in Shi shuo, On Teachers. “A teacher is the one who passes on the Way, teaches the craft and resolves doubts.”
He also wrote: “A disciple need not be inferior to his teacher, and a teacher need not be wiser than his disciple. One heard the Way earlier, and each has his own art and trade. That is all.” On Teachers is in the People’s Education Press high school Chinese textbook.
The scholar Yang Shi was already forty when he went to see the philosopher Cheng Yi in Luoyang. One day, Cheng Yi sat with his eyes closed. Yang Shi and You Zuo stood beside him and did not leave. When Cheng Yi woke, the snow outside the door was a foot deep. (History of Song)
Cheng men li xue, standing in the snow at Cheng’s gate, means to honor one’s teacher.
On a bridge at Xiapi, the young Zhang Liang met an old man in coarse clothes who dropped his shoe under the bridge. “Boy, go down and get my shoe!” Zhang Liang was startled and wanted to hit him, but because the man was old, he held back and fetched it. “Put it on me!” the old man said. Zhang Liang knelt and did so. “The boy can be taught,” said the old man.
He told Zhang Liang to meet him at dawn five days later. Twice Zhang Liang came after the old man and was sent away. The third time, he came before midnight. The old man gave him a book, the Art of War of the Grand Duke. Zhang Liang later used it to advise Liu Bang, who followed his plans. (Records of the Grand Historian)
Article 15 of the Law on Traditional Chinese Medicine, in force since July 1, 2017, opens a route to a medical license through a master. A person who learned Chinese medicine from a master, shicheng, or through many years of practice, and who has real skill, can qualify as a physician of Chinese medicine.
At least two physicians of Chinese medicine must recommend the person. The provincial authority then tests practical skill and results.
Under Article 5 of the Constitution of the Communist Party of China, anyone who applies to join must fill in an application and have two full Party members as sponsors, jieshaoren.
The sponsors must learn about the applicant’s thinking, character, history and work. They explain the Party’s program and constitution to the applicant and make a responsible report to the Party organization.
名师出高徒 A famous master turns out outstanding disciples.
青出于蓝 Blue comes from the indigo plant. The dye is deeper than the plant it comes from. Said of a student who surpasses the teacher. (Xunzi, Encouraging Learning)
After graduating from Xiamen University, Chen Jingrun was assigned in 1953 to teach at Beijing No. 4 Middle School. Because he did not speak clearly, he was not allowed to teach classes and was later sent home to recover. In 1954, the president of Xiamen University, Wang Yanan, brought him back as a library assistant, and Chen worked on number theory.
His work drew the attention of the mathematician Hua Luogeng. In 1957, Hua arranged for Chen to move to the Institute of Mathematics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. In 1966, Chen proved the result now known as Chen’s theorem.
Under the Tang imperial examinations, a successful candidate regarded the chief examiner who passed him as his zuozhu, his patron, and himself as the examiner’s mensheng, his disciple. In the words of the literary historian Hu Kexian, “the patron regarded his disciples as his ‘estate fields,’ and the disciples regarded their patron as the ‘owner of the garden.'”
Candidates who had failed many times felt especially grateful once they passed. After the examiner Gao Ying died, Bai Juyi passed his old house and still wrote a poem of gratitude.